Global coal use at an all-time high in 2024

GLOBAL coal consumption reached a record high in 2024, driven by surging electricity demand – despite coal being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

A new report from the climate change organisation Systems Change Lab – backed by the World Resources Institute and the Bezos Earth Fund – warns that global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C are falling short. It also found that all major sectors, including transport, energy and agriculture, are off track to meet 2030 targets.

According to the Paris Agreement, global emissions need to be reduced by 43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Yet, the report has found that global greenhouse gas emissions have increased by roughly 0.65 GtCO2e/y since 2000.

Further data from the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Global Energy Review 2025 shows energy-related CO2 emissions also increased in 2024, largely due to rising coal use in China, India and Southeast Asia.

Extreme weather driving demand

While coal’s share of global electricity generation has declined slightly – from 37% in 2019 to 34% in 2024 – its absolute use remains high. The report links increased coal consumption in China and India to extreme heatwaves, which have driven up electricity demand for cooling.

The IEA confirms this trend, noting that extreme temperatures were the primary factor behind the rise in emissions in 2024, accounting for 80% of the increase compared to 2023.

Coal phase-out

To meet 2030 climate goals, the report recommends that the phase-out of coal generation must accelerate tenfold – the equivalent of retiring 360 average-sized coal-fired power plants each year until the end of the decade.

It also urges a tenfold increase in technological carbon removal and nearly US$1trn in annual climate-related finance, including investments in renewable energy.

Sophie Boehm, senior research associate at World Resources Institute, said: “As this global report card shows, we have barely moved the needle on phasing out coal or halting deforestation, while public finance still props up fossil fuels. These actions aren’t optional; they’re the bare minimum needed to combat the climate crisis and protect humanity.”